Chapter 23: Night Terrors
We all wear simple weapons at our sides but we don't wear our armor, it would be too conspicuous.
The tavern is on the main road near the castle so it's a rather well made building. It's a brown and grey brick building squashed between two other bigger food shops. The tavern has no windows and a very heavy tal door, it reminds
of the "secret club" type of pubs where it was mostly a discreet and quiet place for higher class n to share a few smokes and drinks.
Once we enter my suspicions are confird, the ambient is filled with murmuring, the occasional laughs and smoke of whatever thing they use to smoke around here. Everyone is dressed in rather conservative velvet clothing but of high quality, there's very few won in here. Seems like a gathering point for official servants of the town.
Our eyes adjust to the low-light environnt as the murmuring reduces and I hear the music being played.
"?? He saw no way around. The monster made him pause. His companion was about to fall down. So he jumped into those claws! ??" The singer makes exaggerated movents as he sings.
As we walk the stares increase. Alissa motions to us and we quickly sit down on a table, it's very snug and comfortable, the low hanging light on the table makes our faces less recognizable.
"?? Like a hero from legend. He used [Shocking Touch]. He paralyzed the wretched. And bet it all on a clutch! ??" The singer quietens as the instrunts start a crescendo.
A proto-waiter appears before us.
"Good evening grand patrons. Would you like to go to our exclusive room? We can give you more personalized service worthy of soone of your position," his voice rings in our ears but his unnatural emphasis makes it obvious to us what he wants.
"Sure, lead the way," I say.
"?? The monster was a fearso foe. No one would dare get so close! He attacked but his heart was filled with woe. Until his companion made the monster explooode! ??"
The lyrics makes
uncomfortable but the instrunts are being played well, with a little tuning it could be an epic song.
We move deeper into the tavern and enter a corridor. The proto-waiter stops and looks around, there's no one here besides us, then he opens a side door leading downstairs and motions for us to go.
"The bottom door," he says and leaves.
The stairs go down for what seems to be a few floors underground, we go deep below the city. There are a few heavy doors flanking us but we continue. We finally reach the end of the stairs and open the last heavy door.
On a very wide and unremarkable grey room Vanea and Haaran are hunched over a table with a few papers and drawings. Surrounding them are n and won in fully plate armor, a few have leather or robes.
Once we enter all heads turns to us and Vanea gives
a wide and genuine smile. Aside from a few people most knights give us looks of annoyance. Alissa and Lina return the stares, they seem unmoved at the attention. Hana is completely unfazed. Ciel and Roxanne shiver as they get the full brunt of both the siblings soul-piercing stare for the first ti.
Haaran rolls his eyes and puts a sack of what could be coins, due to the sound they make, on the table. A devil-type knight besides him snickers and puts the sack on his [Item Box].
"What a pleasure to know you are here, Mr. Ryder," Haaran greets
with a bitter smile.
The gazes of the siblings penetrate my [ntal Resistance] and give
a shiver.
"I'm rely fulfilling my part of the deal," I force a smile with a small bow.
"I told you it was a stupid bet," Vanea says with a smug smile towards her brother.
Haaran's face scrunches up for a mont.
"Sir Haaran bet we wouldn't fulfill our word?" Alissa raises an eyebrow in annoyance.
"Not... Exactl-..."
"He bet you would co in all scared and skittish," says the devil-type man.
"Marduk…" Haaran says in a low growl.
The man bites his lips to suppress a smile. This exchange amuses Alissa and Hana, but it only makes Lina angry.
"Anyway, let's continue with our business at hand," Haaran says through gritted teeth and a forced smile.
His embarrassed face makes him look like another person, he looks almost... Normal.
"Co around, everyone, it's ti for a briefing," Vanea says and everyone bunches up around the table.
There's a large diagram with what seems to be a map of part of the town. There are a few simple carved wooden soldiers surrounding a specific building. One has a golden dot on the top of its head, another has a silver dot, a third has a red dot, and the others have numbers.
"First of all, context," Vanea starts, her face becos neutral again, "We are dealing with an information leak, there's a spy in the castle that's hampering our efforts. This is the only information everyone is allowed to share, anything else is on a need-to-know basis. Do not share this information with anyone else besides your superiors."
"For this operation I assembled this team. First is my brother, who will be leading gold squad. His second-in-command is Sir Marduk."
The devil-type man waves. His skin is red as blood and his eyes are black. His features are thin and a bit effeminate. He barely looks like a proper knight with his smirk crooked smile and casual posture.
"For leader of silver squad will be Da Larana, her second-in-command is Sir Tarano."
A petite werecat woman waves. She reminds
of a Maine coon, grey skin and white hair with black stripes. Small snout, whiskers, yellow cat eyes, and cat ears. Her eyes are sharp and her face is bony and imponent, she looks calm and cold.
A small incubus-type man clenches his fist over his chest. He's similar to Sonny, pale white skin and hair, but red eyes instead of yellow. Small spiral horns on the temples and a dagger-like tail floating besides him. He has a bit of a ratty face with a long nose, thin chin and a suspicious smile.
"And this is the fellowship Helios, they will be red squad. Mr. Wolf and Misses Alissa, Roxanne, Hana, Ciel, and Lina. None of you except for Haaran has fought with him yet but I won't hear a single complaint," her gaze washes over every knight, "I have no ti to deal with inflated pride, this operation is too sensitive to let petty feelings get in the way of the results. If any of you have any doubts rember this fellowship killed the Symbol of Hate and fought side-by-side with Haaran during the goblin village extermination."
The mood of the knights turn into surprise and they murmur between each other. A little bit of fear enters their hearts and the annoyance they have with us slowly disappears, no one seems stupid enough to go against her.
"Quiet. Now, for the operation. Two days ago one of our sniffers found a trail of Farana Uiara's scent while she was buying simple groceries on a shop, she was being escorted by two n. We got our stalkers after her and we tracked her going inside this mansion," Vanea points to a large rectangle on the map, "She hasn't co out yet but we had a tracker sense her presence in there."
"We have detected twenty people plus Farana in there. We do not know about their equipnt but there hasn't been much movent inside, we think these are well trained guards since they don't go outside. Farana herself is restricting her own movents a lot, she believes she's in danger but she doesn't know just how..." Her face twitches as she forces herself not to swear, " much danger she is in."
"There's movent on the buildings surrounding the mansion. One of my spies confird these to be simple guards who rotate their deploynt and think they are just protecting the daughter of a rchant."
"A few of the knights will have to deploy around the mansion to hold these guards, we are certainly going to have to fight so I would rather fight with less n than risk being flanked by random confused grunts," Haaran says.
Vanea places around 6 numbered soldier carvings on the buildings surrounding the mansion.
"You all know where the buildings you are assigned are and how to get to them. Any questions?" She looks to the knights in question.
6 plated knights hit their chests with a closed fist and shake their heads.
"No, my da," says one of them.
"Continuing. The rest of the numbered knights will surround the mansion and guard the exits. If soone tries to run use your signal bombs and try to delay with the rest of your tools, but don't try to fight if you are outnumbered."
7 carvings are positioned around roads leading to the mansion.
"Silver squad will go through the back first and carefully enter the mansion. Two minutes after we will get gold squad and red squad to storm the front. Both gold and silver will use the scrubbers to prevent escape once the assault truly begins. Only Farana gets to live, everyone else don't bother leaving alive," her voice turns cold.
"What if they surrender?" Ciel asks.
"Cut their legs and heal them, then go back to the fight. You shouldn't have a problem with this, right, priestess?" Vanea glares at Ciel.
Ciel sustains her gaze and glares back.
"No, as long as we do not kill with reckless abandon."
"For
the most important thing is that none of my n dies. I don't know how much loyalty these rcenaries have but none of them is worthy of risking one of these knights," Vanea shows a disturbing smile.
A few of the younger knights straighten up in pride, for as much they fear her they still greatly respect her. Haaran raises his hand to call attention to him.
"Anyway, we have to move in the dark like this otherwise she might use a rogue space mage to escape. We know they had contact with one, this ans they know where to go for such services so if we try to scout more we risk her escaping. This is an important woman, lover of a very important enemy to Rabanara, she's the key to catching this spy," he says.
"This is it, any questions?" Vanea asks.
All knights hit their chests with a closed fist and repeat in unison.
"No, my da."
"I would like to speak with Da Vanea in private," I say to Vanea.
I feel that if I said "you" one of the knights would slap .
"You are all dismissed!" She waves at the knights.
The knights straighten up and everyone moves towards the exit. The room empties as Haaran is the last one out.
"We have to decide upon a reward," I say.
"Ten gold for each of you," she answers imdiately, "Also, thirty more gold coins as the bounty for those kidnappers you killed."
We are taken aback in surprise. I look at Lina and she nods to . Vanea chuckles.
"Five gold would be the standard for an inexperienced group of rcenaries. But we have no reason even try to rip you off, we treat and pay those who work for us very well," she smiles innocently.
"I would prefer the better treatnt than the better pay."
"You don't have to worry, I will value your help greatly. You can even keep the money as a gift of goodwill."
I give her a thankful nod.
"Well then, can you watch over my dragon until we co back? She's not combat-ready for this type of battle.
Aoi looks at
with biggest puppy eyes she can muster, when I show no reaction she looks for support on the other girls. None of them flinch, Hana gives her a kiss on the top of her head and pats her.
"You will be ready in a few years, perhaps," she says.
Vanea raises an eyebrow.
"Sure, I will be waiting in the [Gate] room so she can just stay there. If she stays in the corner of the room nobody will bother her."
"Understood, that is all."
"Co to the first room to the right."
As Vanea leaves I relay the ssage to Aoi and I feel the sa coldness and loneliness of when we first t. Being left alone in the corner with nobody giving attention to her is exactly what her parents did ever since she was born.
"We will not be able to always stay by your side, my little dragon," Hana says with a softness that could even soothe us, "But you have to trust us, we will co back, we are not abandoning you."
"Wolf will never abandon us, we will never abandon him, and we will never abandon you," Lina says.
"Thruus-t..." Aoi forces out.
"Yes trust us as we trust you," I say.
She sadly nods and hangs her head low.
We pull out our recently padded armor. All our chest pieces now have a small white gem near the neck, we just send a small amount of mana to the gem and it will cast [Breeze] depending on the amount of mana, this will keep us from overheating in this amount of fur. So silver lines circle around the inside of our armor and even go down towards our pants.
We had the two-handed ellanat sword reforged into a smaller bastard sword that Hana can use, the remaining tal of the reforged sword got added to Ciel's shield. I'm using the one-handed ellanat sword. The other shield with ellanat we had it removed and added to Lina's shield. Our front line is nearly spell-immune, ellanat can only absorb a limited amount of "Magic Power" after all.
"How are you feeling, Wolfy?" Alissa asks.
"I'm fine."
She grabs my hand, I notice I'm shaking.
"Well I guess I'm very anxious. What about Lina?"
She looks at us, she's frowning but she's not shaking.
"I guess better than ," I laugh, then I turn to Ciel, "What do the Gods say about killing?"
"A life without conflict goes against the teachings of the God of Change, but we need a very good reason for this conflict. No life shall be wasted."
"Senseless murder
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